December 1, 2023

Last Updated: December 4, 2023



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Fissler Cookware Review: A Top German Brand

By trk

Last Updated: December 4, 2023


Fissler is a popular German brand of cookware. The design is very European, so it may not appeal to every American buyer, but the quality is outstanding and the cookware is beautiful. All Fissler cookware is made in Germany. 

We look at the Fissler cookware sold in the US including their original clad stainless, PTFE nonstick, and ceramic nonstick. We examine heating, durability, safety, design, and more. Find out how Fissler cookware stands up to use and how it compares to other high-end cookware brands. 

Fissler Cookware at a Glance

This table summarizes the Fissler cookware lines sold in the US. We listed only the lines on the Fissler USA site, but included similar lines that are on Amazon (probably discontinued in the US).

Lines are listed in alphabetical order, but grouped with similar lines that are probably discontinued.

We do not discuss pressure cookers here. For a review of Fissler pressure cookers, see our Fissler Pressure Cooker Review.

All Fissler cookware is made in Germany.

Line

Features

Fissler Adamant Skillet Set

-PTFE nonstick w/silicon carbide particles

-Heavy aluminum body w/up to 60% recycled aluminum

-Classic or comfort handle options

-Induction compatible/Cookstar base

-Rivet free cooking surface

-High rims, scale in pan for easy measuring

-Metal utensil and dishwasher safe

-Oven safe to 428F

-9.5" skillet about $75/11" $100 (comfort handle)

-9.5" skillet weighs 2.5 lb.

-Glass lid available

-5 year warranty.

Fissler Ceretal skillet

-Ceramic nonstick (PTFE free)

-Heavy aluminum body w/up to 60% recycled aluminum

-Comfort or classic handle options

-Induction compatible/Cookstar base

-Rivet free cooking surface

-High rims, scale in pan for easy measuring

-Not safe for oven, dishwasher, or metal utensils

-9.5"/11" skillet app. $130/$150

-9.5" skillet weighs 2.6 lb.

-Glass lid available

-5 year warranty.

Fissler Levital skillet

-Fissler's premium PTFE nonstick (skillets only)

-Heavy aluminum body w/up to 60% recycled aluminum

-Comfort handle

-Rivet free cooking surface

-High rims, scale in pan for easy measuring

-Induction compatible/Cookstar base

-Dishwasher safe

-Not safe for oven or metal utensils

-8"/11" skillets app. $113/$160

-11" skillet weighs 3.3 lb.

-Glass lid available

-Germany Design Award winner in 2020.

-5 year warranty.

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

-Recycled 18/10 stainless steel

-6mm aluminum base (disc-clad cookware)

-Induction compatible/Cookstar base

-Scale in pans for easy measuring

-Dishwasher safe

-Stainless steel lids and handles

-Rivet free cooking surface

-8 pc set about $900

-11" skillet weighs 4 lb.

-15 year warranty on manufacturing defects.

Fissler Pure 9 pc set

-Up to 90% recycled 18/10 stainless steel

-Induction compatible/Superthermic base

-Scale in pans for easy measuring

-Dishwasher safe

-Oven safe to 450F

-Stainless steel lids and handles

-Rivet free cooking surface

-9 pc set about $550

-10 year warranty on manufacturing defects.

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About Fissler

Fissler is a German kitchenware company that was founded in 1845. In the US, they are probably best known for their pressure cookers (which we review in another article), but Fissler also makes cookware and a few kitchen utensils. They also make knives and an induction cooktop, but these don't seem to be available in the US.

All Fissler products are made in Germany. They've won several design awards for their cookware and pressure cookers. Fissler products are very high quality.

Fissler's flagship cookware is their stainless steel Original Profi line. They also make a few nonstick cookware lines that are mostly skillets. 

Fissler strives to make sustainable products by using recycled steel and aluminum. And in 2020, Fissler innovated the production process for non-stick cookware by using almost all water-based nonstick coatings, which cuts carbon dioxide emissions by about 70% annually.

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Other Fissler Cookware Lines

There are some other Fissler cookware lines on Amazon. They're not on the Fissler USA website, so we're assuming they're discontinued. We didn't test them, so we don't have any recommendations. (We do recommend buying only lines with the Cookstar base.)

Bonn: 9 piece stainless steel set with glass lids and Superthermic base for about $350. See Bonn set on Amazon 

Cenit: Affordable nonstick line made in Italy. 11-inch pan about $55 See Cenit on Amazon

Hamburg: Stainless steel set with glass lids and Superthermic base. 9 piece set about $250. See Hamburg on Amazon

Intensa: 9 piece stainless steel set with steel lids and Cookstar base. Stackable and can hang from lids. About $500. See Intensa set on Amazon

What Is the Cookstar Base?

Fissler Cookstar base closeup

Closeup of Fissler Cookstar base.

The Cookstar® base is Fissler's trademarked cookware base. It came out in 1995. According to Fissler, it is an almost 8mm-thick aluminum disc inside magnetic steel. The Cookstar base is designed to work on all cooktops, including induction. The thick base stays flat and ensures optimal heating performance and excellent efficiency, which means you can use lower heat and get the same results as other cookware gets on higher heat.

As far as we know, the Cookstar Base is the thickest disc cladding on market. 

Not all Fissler lines have the Cookstar base; the Pure line reviewed below does not. Rather, it has the Superthermic base, which is not as thick, thus won't be as efficient or even heating.

If you buy Fissler cookware, we recommend getting a line with the Cookstar base for the best heating, best efficiency, and maximum durability. (It is also on the most expensive Fissler lines, but there's a reason for that.)

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What Is the Superthermic Base?

The Superthermic base is another Fissler trademarked base. According to Fissler it has a 6mm aluminum disc inside magnetic steel. Like the Cookstar base, it is designed to work on all cooktops, including induction. The base is thick enough to stay flat and provides even, efficient heating.

The Superthermic base is thinner than the Cookstar base, so Fissler cookware lines with the Superthermic base (the Pure line, for example) are less expensive than lines with the Cookstar base. However, 6mm of aluminum is going to provide excellent heating.

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The Fissler Handles

Fissler Classic handle closeup

Fissler Classic handle.

Fissler Comfort Handle Closeup

Fissler Safety handle.

Fissler makes nonstick skillets with two handle options, "Classic" and "Safety." The Safety handle is basically the Classic handle with an extension on the bottom to provide grip and prevent your fingers from touching the hot pan.

The Safety handle also has "a hook-in function for hooking in the splatter shield and glass lid."

We don't recommend one handle over the other. They provide similar grip, and both are comfortable. Pans with the safety handle tend to cost slightly more. 

Fissler stainless steel cookware has steel handles that do not have safety grip options.

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What Does the Condensate Plus Lid Do?

Fissler Original Profi Condensate Plus lid

Original Profi lid with Condensate Plus feature.

Fissler makes lids with a feature called Condensate Plus that "ensures that condensed liquid drips back onto the food and helps it simmer in its own juices." 

We're also not sure which lids have this feature. Some lid descriptions just say "self-basting," while other say "Condensate Plus." These sound like the same thing.

We're not sure it does all that much, anyway, as all lids allow liquid to drip back into a pot. So you probably don't need to worry about it too much.

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What to Look for in Cookware (A Buying Guide)

Here are the features that are important when you're buying cookware. 

Heating

All-Clad D3 ply diagram

All-Clad tri-ply diagram (fully clad cookware).

Demeyere disc clad base

Demeyere disc clad diagram (high quality disc quality cookware).

Heating is the most important feature of cookware since that's what you buy it for. Assuming it's safe to use, you want to get the best heating you can find. Decent heating means a pan heats evenly and holds onto heat well. 

For clad stainless steel cookware, this means that you want a thick aluminum or copper heating core. For fully clad pieces, you want at least 1.6mm of aluminum or 1mm of copper.

For disc cladding, you want at least 4mm of aluminum or 2mm of copper--and, you want the disc to cover the whole bottom and wrap slightly up the sides. Disc cladding needs to be thicker because it's only on the bottom.

Not all cookware brands provide the specifications of their heating core. All the lines we discuss here--All-Clad, Demeyere, and Fissler--are good brands. But if you don't know the brand and can't find the specs, you can go by the weight: in general, you should buy the heaviest clad cookware you can comfortably handle. Weight ensures you're getting a thick heating core and a durable brand.

The Fissler Cookstar base has almost 8mm of aluminum and the Fissler Superthermic base has 6mm of aluminum. The Cookstar base is more efficient but it is also heavier and more expensive. 6mm of aluminum is more than enough to provide excellent heating, especially with the Fissler wraparound style.

Durability

Durability is the second thing to look at. Or at least, it is if you're not buying nonstick cookware, which is not durable and won't last as long as stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, or copper cookware. In fact, nonstick cookware lasts just a few years, while all the other types named here will last for decades.

If you want durable clad stainless steel cookware, the weight (again) is a good indication. Thinner clad cookware is more prone to warping. And in general, thicker, heavier cookware is always going to be more durable than thinner, lighter cookware, whatever type it is.

You also want good quality steel that resists corrosion. Most good brands of clad stainless steel have 18/10 or better steel. If you go with a cheaper brand, make sure you're getting good steel. Some cheaper brands have lower quality steel, like 400 grade with no nickel, or 200 grade, with a lower nickel content than 300 grade. Nickel is the main ingredient in stainless steel that makes it stainless--that is, corrosion resistant.

Stability/Safety

Safety is a given in all of our cookware recommendations, which is why it's not listed as the first characteristic to look at; you can assume that all the cookware we recommend is safe to use when used correctly.

If there are issues with cookware, we discuss them--for example, PTFE nonstick cookware is safe when used correctly, but can give off toxic fumes at high temps, and also has serious environmental concerns (forever chemicals and landfills). 

All cookware sold in the US is pretty highly regulated, so it's safe to use. Other than nonstick cookware--which should have more regulations than it does--the cookware you buy in the American market is safe.

Clad stainless cookware is a very safe, stable cookware that won't leach toxins and won't react with food. The same is true of seasoned and enameled cast iron and carbon steel cookware. 

Fissler clad stainless cookware is safe and stable, with ann 18/10 cooking surface. Their nonstick lines have the same issues as all nonstick: the PTFE has forever chemicals that pollute the planet's water supply, ceramic nonstick has potentially unsafe nanoparticles (more research is needed).

For these reasons, we don't recommend any nonstick cookware, but they are technically considered safe when used correctly. 

Ease of Care

If ease of care is your primary purchasing factor, then get nonstick. If you don't mind pans that might stick a little, then clad stainless is a better choice.

But if you know how to use stainless cookware, it isn't hard to clean--and because it's so much more durable and long lasting than nonstick, it's our number one choice.

Seasoned cast iron and carbon steel are also fairly easy to care for once they're seasoned--but seasoning has a learning curve. It's not hard to do, but it can take awhile to get the hang of it. Once seasoned, though, cast iron and carbon steel clean up almost as easily as nonstick, and is as durable as stainless steel.

Traditional enameled cookware is not the same as ceramic nonstick, so it won't clean up as easily. But most traditional ceramic is semi-nonstick, and cleans up fairly easily. 

To use clad stainless cookware: First heat the pan, then add enough oil or butter to lightly coat the cooking surface. When it's hot--shimmering but not smoking--add food. Let the food cook undisturbed for a few minutes until it forms a crust. The crust will release naturally from the pan, allowing you to flip or stir the food without sticking. You can also use the bits in the pan to make a pan sauce by adding a little water, stock, or wine plus seasoning and butter. Making a pan sauce also helps to make cleanup easier because the hot liquid loosens the stuck-on bits in the pan.

Design

Design is mostly about personal preference: Are the handles comfortable and do they do a good helping you stabilize the pan? Are the lids snug? Are the pieces too light or too heavy? Does the skillet have a good amount of flat cooking surface? Are the sauce pans too shallow or too deep? Are the bottoms flat? Is it induction compatible?

And cookware should be attractive because you won't enjoy using cookware you think is ugly. 

You may not know exactly what features you want, but you should give it some thought before you buy. (And after you buy, too: if it has some feature you hate, you should return it.)

Fissler cookware is pretty, but it has a somewhat unconventional design compared to other brands sold in the US. It's more European looking than most brands sold here. Whether you like that or not is really a personal choice.

Cost-Per-Year-of-Use

Cost-per-year-of-use: Rather than just looking at the price, estimate the cost-per-year-of-use of the cookware: this isthe justification for spending more on a brand like Fissler Original Profi when you can get another brand for a lower price.

If you spend $900 on a set of Original Profi and it lasts for 30 years, your cost-per-year-of-use is about $30. 

If you spend $200 on a set of cookware that lasts for 5 years, your cost-per-year-of-use is $40. Add to this the cost of replacing the cookware every 5 years, and your cost-per-year-of-use is about $240.

Even if you get a $200 set that lasts for 10 years, you're still spending more on the cheaper set.

Cost-per-year-of-use is the best way to think about your cookware budget. Even though you're spending more up front, the cookware lasts long enough to keep the cost-per-year-of-use low.

You also get better quality cookware that's more fun to use, which makes it a total no-brainer.

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Fissler Vs. All-Clad: Which Is Better?

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

Fissler Original Profi with Cookstar base.

All-Clad D3 10 piece set

All-Clad D3 10 piece set.

Both Fissler and All-Clad are premium cookware brands. They are both high quality stainless steel brands, with the main difference being that All-Clad is fully clad (aluminum all the way up the sides) and Fissler is disc clad (aluminum only in the base). 

All-Clad is an American brand, and we've learned to believe that full cladding is always better quality and has better heating. This can be true in many cases: disc clad cookware is cheaper to make, so a lot of inexpensive, mediocre quality cookware has disc cladding.

But not all disc clad cookware is poor quality, and Fissler is one of the very best disc clad cookware lines on the market. Their Cookstar base has an 8mm layer of aluminum: compare this to All-Clad D3's 1.7mm layer of full cladding. The Cookstar base also wraps partway up the side of the pan, so there is no heat discontinuity like there is with thinner, non-wraparound disc cladding. 

The Fissler Superthermic base has a 6mm aluminum base, so the heating is also extremely even and efficient.

With more than 3-4 times the aluminum and the wraparound disc, Fissler cookware has better heating properties than any All-Clad line. 

You may still prefer All-Clad, though. Disc clad cookware can feel unbalanced because all the weight is in the base. And the American-made All-Clad sets tend to have larger pieces and a bigger variety of pieces (for example, the Fissler set above has a 9.5-inch skillet and a 1.5-quart sauce pan; the All-Clad D3 set has a 10-inch skillet and a 3-quart sauce pan.)

see our all-clad review for more information

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Fissler Vs. Demeyere: Which Is Better?

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

Fissler Original Profi with Cookstar base.

Demeyere Atlantis 6pc Set

Demeyere Atlantis 6 piece set.

Fissler and Demeyere are both premium European brands. The main difference between them is that all the Fissler pieces are disc clad, while Demeyere makes some disc clad pieces and some fully clad pieces.

The Demeyere line closest to Fissler Original Profi is Atlantis. Atlantis is the top Demeyere line. Its straight-sided pieces--stock pots, sauté pans--have disc cladding, and the curved-sided pieces--skillets, sauciérs--have full cladding. Demeyere's philosophy is that straight sided pieces are used primarily for liquids, so the sides don't need a heating core because liquids have currents that distribute heat evenly. But curved pieces like skillets and sauciérs use the sides in cooking, so they need a heating core for best performance.

The Demeyere disc is close to Fissler for heating performance, but rather than having 8mm of aluminum, it has 2mm of copper, plus aluminum, plus a thin layer of silver. So the Demeyere disc isn't as thick, but it still provides excellent heating properties.

The Demeyere curved pieces have a thicker heating core than any All-Clad line. The Proline skillet, for example, has almost 4mm of aluminum all the way up the sides. The sauciér has a 3mm aluminum heating core (fully clad). 

Demeyere also makes a fully clad line called Industry which is thicker than All-Clad but not as thick as Atlantis.

We think Demeyere Atlantis is the better choice because of the thoughtful design of their Atlantis cookware: fully clad skillets are better, even though the Fissler base edges out the Atlantis base slightly on heating.

Like All-Clad, you may prefer Demeyere for the pieces. They offer larger pieces and, we think, better design overall than Fissler. But the quality level is the same, so if you prefer the Fissler, it's a good choice.

see our demeyere review for more information

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Review: Fissler Adamant Nonstick Pans

Fissler Adamant Skillet Set

See Adamant on Amazon

See Adamant stainless skillet on Amazon

See Adamant at Fissler

About $70 for 9.5-inch Classic handle

About $75 for 9.5-inch Comfort handle

About $155 for 9.5-inch/11-inch set

About $105 for 9.5-inch stainless steel skillet

Features

  • Water-based PTFE nonstick coating with silicon carbide reinforcement
  • Textured/rough cooking surface
  • Heavy aluminum body with up to 60% recycled aluminum
  • Classic or Safety/Comfort handle options
  • Cookstar base with 8mm aluminum for even heating
  • Induction compatible
  • Rivet free cooking surface
  • Tall sides
  • Scale in pan for measuring liquids
  • Metal utensil and dishwasher safe
  • Oven safe to 428F
  • 9.5-inch skillet weighs 2.5 lb.
  • Glass lid sold separately
  • Winner of the 2020 German Design Award
  • 5 year warranty.

The Adamant line is Fissler's entry level nonstick line, and therefore the most affordable. It's the only Fissler nonstick line that's available in more than skillets. 

What we like: The pans are heavy and well made. They heat evenly and hang onto heat well. For cooking performance, these are some of the best nonstick pans on the market. 

The nonstick coating works, but is best with a small amount of cooking oil. 

The safety handle is comfortable and great for stabilizing the pan. The scale is great for cooking any sort of liquid because you can pour it in the pan without having to measure it first. And the rivet free cooking surface is great (all Fissler pans have this feature).

The skillet has a lot of flat cooking surface and the tall sides make it more versatile: you can use it as a skillet and as a sauté pan.

What we don't like: The rough texture of the coating may add durability, but you really need to use cooking oil for best results: the oil fills in the nooks and crannies, making the surface smoother and more nonstick. This shouldn't be necessary for a PTFE coating, but it is for all we've tested (not just Fissler pans).

As with all nonstick, even though Fissler says the Adamant line is dishwasher and metal utensil safe, we recommend hand washing and silicone utensils if you want the pan to last.

We hate the handle on the sauce pan: the two steel bars get really uncomfortable to hold when the pan is full. (Why couldn't they put a safety handle on this pan?)

Fissler Adamant sauce pan handle

Adamant sauce pan handle.

Some reviewers said the nonstick coating began peeling after about 6 months of use. 

Buying Options

Fissler Adamant stainless skillet

Adamant stainless steel skillet.

The Adamant line comes in several pieces, including skillets, stock pots, sauce pan, rondeau, and wok (but please don't buy a nonstick wok, as you can't use high heat as woks are designed to be used).

Despite all these pieces, there are only small sets of two-three skillets or a sauce pan and a rondeau. 

There's also a stainless steel skillet, which is a nice piece, but expensive.

See Adamant line on Amazon

See Adamant stainless steel skillet on Amazon

See all Adamant buying options at Fissler

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Heavy and even heating pans
  • Fissler's most affordable nonstick line
  • Great design features like rivet free cooking surface and safety handle.

Cons:

  • Expensive for nonstick cookware
  • Only small sets available
  • The sauce pan handle is uncomfortable.

Recommendation for Fissler Adamant Cookware

Adamant is Fissler's most affordable nonstick, but it has all the great features of Fissler, including the Cookstar base, rivet free cooking surface, and safety handle (on the skillets). But it's still expensive for nonstick cookware, and it probably won't last any longer than cheaper brands. These are nice pans at a somewhat reasonable price, and the heating is excellent. If you have the budget and don't mind replacing them every couple of years, then they're an okay purchase. But we prefer the Anolon Copper Nouvelle for nonstick, and seasoned cast iron over any nonstick pan: cast iron lasts for decades (so no landfill issue), and it contains no potentially toxic chemicals (so safer for humans and the environment).

Fissler Adamant Skillet Set

buy fissler adamant:

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Review: Fissler Ceretal Nonstick Pans

Fissler Ceretal skillet

See Ceretal on Amazon

See Ceretal at Fissler

About $130 for the 9.5-inch skillet

About $210 for the 9.5-inch/11-inch skillet set

Features

  • Ceramic nonstick (PTFE free)
  • Heavy aluminum body with up to 60% recycled aluminum
  • Classic or Safety handle options
  • Cookstar base with 8mm aluminum
  • Induction compatible
  • Rivet free cooking surface
  • Measurement scale in pans
  • Tall straight sides for maximum cooking surface
  • NOT safe for oven, dishwasher, or metal utensils
  • 9.5-inch skillet weighs 2.6 lb.; 11-inch skillet weighs 3.5 lb.
  • Glass lid sold separately
  • 5 year warranty.

Ceretal came out in 2022. It's Fissler's ceramic nonstick line, with a water-based coating, made with no PTFE or PFAS. Like Fissler's other aluminum pans, it's thick and heavy. The Cookstar base plus the aluminum body provides superb heating properties--but it's thicker than most aluminum pans, so it takes longer to heat through. This is more a virtue than a vice because it guarantees evenness, so your patience will be rewarded.

What we like: The pan is heavy and well made. The heat is extremely even. The ceramic nonstick coating is a better choice environmentally and it provides excellent release, with eggs sliding around in the pan easily. We used just enough cooking oil to thinly coat the pan, which ceramic nonstick requires for best results.

We tested a pan with the Comfort/Safety handle (shown above) and the handle was comfortable and provided good grip for people with different hand sizes. 

The rivet free cooking surface is a great feature.

It's great that this pan is available only as a skillet because that's where nonstick is needed. 

What we don't like: This pan is restricted by Fissler to using no higher than medium heat (2/3 of your burner power). You don't need high heat for most things, but it's nice to have the choice, which is one of the reasons we dislike nonstick pans in general. 

The Ceretal pans aren't oven safe, dishwasher safe, or metal utensil safe. If it had a steel handle, it could probably go in the oven, so that's a miss by Fissler. But metal utensil and dishwasher restrictions apply to all nonstick pans if you want them to last as long as possible. These are other reasons we don't like nonstick pans. 

The pan worked great in our testing, but some reviewers said the coating wore out after a few months. If this is the case, and without any mistreatment, then these pans are overpriced. 

Buying Options

Fissler Ceretal is available only as a skillet. You can buy a two skillet set, a two skillet set with lids, and single skillets in different sizes, with the Classic or Safety handle. Tall sides are the only option (no shallow pan as with the Levital below).

See Ceretal pan on Amazon

See the full Ceretal line at Fissler

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Excellent even heating and heat retention
  • Thick, durable body
  • The nonstick coating works well with a little bit of cooking oil
  • Available only as a skillet (this should be true for all nonstick cookware).

Cons:

  • Low heat required
  • Not oven, dishwasher, or metal utensil safe
  • Some reviewers complained that the nonstick only lasted a few months.

Recommendation for Fissler Ceretal Skillet

The Fissler Ceretal skillets are heavy (for aluminum) and well made. But the ceramic nonstick coating probably won't last, and the pans are expensive, so we can't recommend them. You can find cheaper ceramic nonstick if that's what you want: we like GreenPan (see our GreenPan review).

The Ceretal pans do heat incredibly well, so if you love the design, have the budget, and don't mind replacing them every 1-2 years, then you probably won't be disappointed.

Fissler Ceretal skillet

buy fissler ceretal skillets:

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Review: Fissler Levital Premium Nonstick Pans

Fissler Levital skillet

See Levital on Amazon

See Levital at Fissler

About $160 for 11-inch skillet

About $113 for 8-inch skillet

(Available in skillets only)

Features

  • Heavy aluminum body w/up to 60% recycled aluminum
  • Cookstar base for superb heating
  • Induction compatible
  • Tall sides for maximum cooking surface
  • Measurement scale in pan
  • Comfort handle for ease of use and safety
  • Rivet free cooking surface for easy cleaning
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Not safe for oven use or metal utensils
  • 11-inch skillet weighs 3.3 lb.
  • Winner of 2022 Germany design award
  • Glass lid sold separately
  • 5 year warranty.

Levital is Fissler's highest end nonstick. With the thick Cookstar base as well as thick aluminum walls, this cookware heats superbly. The Levital cooking surface is smooth (no reinforcements as in the Adamant line), and the pan is designed for making delicate foods like fish and omelets with little to no cooking oil. 

What we like: The Levital pan heats beautifully. The Cookstar base plus the thick aluminum body gives this pan stellar heating. The smooth surface is a nice change from all the textured PTFE nonstick we've tested, which can cause food to stick. Food released beautifully even with no cooking oil in the pan.

We like that Fissler makes just the skillet and not whole sets because skillets are really the only piece that benefits from nonstick. 

Shallow or deep sides are a nice option, depending on what you want to do with a nonstick pan. Deep sides are more versatile, but if you want an omelet, or pancake pan, a shallow pan is the best choice.

What we don't like: It's too expensive for a nonstick pan, especially with some reviewers complaining that the coating started to come off after just a few months. 

Buying Options

Fissler Levital skillet

Levital pan with high sides and safety handle.

Fissler Levital Comfort handle skillet

Levital pan with high sides and comfort handle.

Fissler Levital shallow pan

Levital pan with shallow sides and classic handle.

The Levital is skillets only, and they come in three designs: a shallow pan with a classic handle and a deep pan with two handle options. Each design is available in two-four sizes (8-, 9.5-, 10.2- and 11-inch). 

There are no Levital sets available.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Excellent nonstick surface
  • Excellent even heating
  • Three handle options.

Cons:

  • Some user complaints about coating peeling
  • Expensive
  • Heavy for an aluminum pan (but that's why the heating is so great).

Recommendation for Fissler Levital Pans

We are hesitant to recommend such an expensive nonstick pan because the PTFE coating won't last no matter how much you spend. But if you have the budget and want a pan with excellent heating and excellent release, then the Levital is one of the best options on the market. If you want something a bit more affordable with heating properties that are almost as good, we like Anolon Copper Nouvelle (see our Anolon review).

Fissler Levital Comfort handle skillet

buy fissler levital:

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Review: Fissler Original Profi Cookware

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

See Original Profi with steel lids on Amazon

See Original Profi with glass lids on Amazon

See Original Profi at Fissler

About $200 for 11-inch skillet

About $900 for 9 piece set with stainless steel lids

About $850 for 9 piece set with glass lids

Features

  • Recycled 18/10 stainless steel
  • Cookstar base has 8mm aluminum (disc-clad cookware)
  • Induction compatible
  • Stainless steel or glass lids
  • Stainless steel stay-cool handles
  • Rivet free cooking surface
  • Laser-etched measurement scale in pans
  • Wide pouring rim for drip free pouring
  • Dishwasher safe (but wash by hand to keep pots looking like new)
  • 11-inch skillet weighs 4 lbs. (9.5-inch skillet weighs 2.5 lb.)
  • 15 year warranty on manufacturing defects.

Also sometimes called Original Pro or just Fissler Pro, this is Fissler's flagship cookware line. It was introduced in 1974 as a collaboration with professional chefs. Since then, it has undergone several design changes, including the addition of the patented Cookstar base in 1995, a multiple award-winning innovation that is one of the most energy efficient cookware designs in the world. 

Fissler Original Profi won the Red Dot Design Award 2022. 

What we liked: Original Profi is extremely high quality cookware. The 8mm aluminum Cookstar base provides excellent even heating and good heat retention. The Original Profi is considered by many to be the best disc-clad cookware on the market, and to have better heating than most fully clad pans. Our testers loved how this pan performed.

We tested the smooth skillet, and the performance was great, with even heating and cleanup as easy as any stainless cookware we've tested. A fully clad skillet is our preference, but this one heated just as well.

The handles do stay cool on the stove for a long time, and they are roomy and easy to grab. 

The pouring rim is drip-free. The scale in the pan make it easy to cook with liquids.

We love the rivet free cooking surface because it keeps the pans easier to clean.

And it's great that you can buy a set with stainless or glass lids. We prefer stainless because it's lighter and more durable, but if you want glass, it's good to know it's available.

Fissler Profi skillet Novogrill closeup

Novogrill skillet closeup.

What we didn't like: The waffled Novigrill® surface is not impressive. It may improve browning slightly (it's supposed to work like a grill pan), but it has no nonstick properties and makes the skillet harder to clean. Furthermore, you can't use the pan for eggs and pancakes because there's no way to slip a turner underneath the food for a smooth flip.

Other brands have tried a waffled surface, but it hasn't been successful. The Profi set would be an easier choice if it came with a smooth-surface skillet, but if that's what you want, you have to buy it separately.

The small sauce pan doesn't come with a lid. This is probably a European design thing, but in the US, sauce pans always come with lids. The lid of the small stock pot will fit the sauce pan, but in the US, both of these pieces should have lids. (If you buy the sauce pan separately, it does come with a lid.)

We weren't impressed with the Condensate lids, which didn't seem to do anything more than a regular lid does. But they fit the pans well and do what they're supposed to do. 

The 15 year warranty is short for high quality cookware, but it will last longer than this (probably decades longer).

Finally, the pieces in the set are on the small side. A 9.5-inch skillet and a 1.5-quart sauce pan are small. And why three stock pots in different sizes? This must be a European thing, but we would prefer a couple of sauce pans--with lids--with just one 6- or 8-quart stock pot. The main difference is short vs. long handles, so if you don't mind short handles, then the "stock pots" work as sauce pans.

Buying Options

Original Profi is Fissler's largest line. You can get sets with steel or glass lids. There are several open stock pieces available, including pasta pots, steamers, conical sauce pans, and more. 

See Fissler Original Profi on Amazon

See the full line of Fissler Original Profi at Fissler

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Excellent high quality cookware with great design
  • Can get steel or glass lids
  • Several open stock pieces available, including a smooth-surface skillet.

Cons:

  • The waffled surface on the skillet is a pain to clean and you have to buy a smooth skillet separately.
  • Heavy
  • Expensive
  • Smallish piece sizes in the sets.

Recommendation for Fissler Original Profi

The Fissler Original Profi is superb quality cookware; some of the best in the world. The thick base heats as well as any fully clad cookware; better, actually, because it has so much more aluminum. The design won't be right for everyone, with the smallish pieces, short-handled pots, and waffled surface on the skillet (there's a smooth surface skillet available, but it doesn't come in any of the sets). It's also heavy, and though that's another indication of quality, it may not be right for people with ergonomic issues.

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

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Review: Fissler Pure Cookware

Fissler Pure 9 pc set

See Pure on Amazon

See Pure at Fissler

About $500 for 9 piece set with stainless steel lids

No skillets in this line

Features

  • Up to 90% recycled 18/10 stainless steel
  • Superthermic base with 6mm aluminum for efficient heating
  • Induction compatible
  • Scale in pans for easy measuring (quarts and liters)
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Oven safe to 450F
  • Stainless steel lids
  • Stainless steel stay-cool handles
  • Wide pouring rim for drip free pouring
  • Rivet free cooking surface
  • 10 year warranty on manufacturing defects.

Pure is Fissler's introductory stainless steel line: it's  Like the Original Profi, it is a disc-clad product (so no fully clad pieces). It has Fissler's Superthermic base, which is slightly thinner than the Cookstar base, so the heating won't be quite as good--but at 6mm thick, it's still really good. For most home cooks the heating is more than adequate.

What we like: The pans are high quality. The stainless lids are great. The handles are large and roomy. Maybe best of all, these pans are lighter than the Original Profi line. If you don't want heavy cookware, the Pure line is a better choice than the Original Profi (though it's still impressively heavy).

What we don't like: There's no skillet available in this line, which is just weird. So if you want a skillet that sort of matches, you'll have to buy an Original Profi skillet. If you're not too picky, you can use one of the four "stock pots" that come in the set as a skillet, but the tall sides and small cooking surface make this less than ideal.

It's also weird is that the sauce pan doesn't have a lid. We attribute these odd design choices to the cookware being meant for a European market, which may cook differently. The closest an American set comes to this is waterless cookware, which usually has small set pieces and often comes without a skillet. 

Fissler Adamant sauce pan handle

We don't like the sauce pan handle, which is like the handle on the Adamant cookware: two steel bars that dig into your hand uncomfortably when the pan is full.

Because there's no skillet in the set and none available, that was kind of a dealbreaker for us.

Buying Options

The 9 piece set shown is the only Pure set available. You can also buy pieces separately, but there are no other open stock pieces. There doesn't seem to be a lid available for the sauce pan.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • High quality
  • Stainless steel lids
  • Pretty
  • Light
  • More affordable than Original Profi line.

Cons:

  • No skillet in the set (or available)
  • No lid for sauce pan
  • Superthermic base won't heat as evenly or retain heat as well as the Cookstar base.

Recommendation for Fissler Pure

The Fissler Pure line is good quality cookware, with plenty of aluminum in the Superthermic base to heat evenly and efficiently. But it lacks essential pieces such as a skillet and a lid for the sauce pan. If you're doing waterless cooking, this set may work for you. But because of these misses, we can't recommend it.

Fissler Pure 9 pc set

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Fissler Cookware FAQs

Here are some common questions about Fissler cookware.

Why Is Fissler Cookware So Expensive?

Fissler cookware is top quality cookware made in Germany. You are paying for more than a hundred years of experience, excellent steel quality, and an excellent heating core. Though not as popular here, Fissler cookware has a reputation for being some of the best cookware in the world.

Is Fissler Cookware Good Quality?

Yes, Fissler cookware is extremely good quality.

What's the Best Line of Fissler Cookware to Buy?

We recommend the Original Profi line. It's stainless steel with the Cookstar base and also has the most buying options of all the Fissler lines. The Fissler nonstick lines are high quality, but expensive for nonstick cookware.

Is Fissler Cookware Dishwasher Safe?

Some lines of Fissler cookware are dishwasher safe and some are not. You should wash all your cookware by hand to keep it looking new and lasting as long as possible.

Is Fissler Cookware Oven Safe?

Some lines of Fissler cookware are oven safe and some are not. In general, cookware with steel handles is oven safe and cookware with plastic handles is not oven safe. 

Does Fissler Make Nonstick Cookware?

Yes, Fissler makes both PTFE and ceramic nonstick cookware. Fissler nonstick is very high quality, but also expensive.

What Is the Warranty on Fissler Cookware?

The warranty varies by line of cookware. The longest warranty we've seen is on the Original Profi line, which is 15 years. The nonstick lines have a 5 year warranty. Cheaper stainless lines typically have a 10 year warranty, but check the individual line to know for sure.

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Final Thoughts About Fissler Cookware

Fissler Original Profi 8 pc set

Fislser is a high quality German brand of cookware. They make clad stainless, PTFE nonstick, and ceramic nonstick. Their flagship line is the Original Profi, a premium line of stainless steel cookware with disc cladding called the Cookstar base, which has 6mm of aluminum and provides even heating. It's probably best disc cladding on the market. 

Fissler makes other lines of cookware with a different disc, but we recommend the Cookstar base for best heating. Fissler's nonstick is high quality (and most lines also have the Cookstar base), but we think it's too expensive for nonstick cookware.

The Original Profi is the best choice for Fissler. It has the Cookstar base, plus the largest variety of open stock pieces available. If you like the European design and want top notch cookware, Fissler Original Profi is an excellent choice. The waffled surface of the skillet isn't our favorite, but you can buy a smooth surface skillet; unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be part of a set so you have to buy it separately.

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Fissler Adamant sauce pan handle

About the Author

The Rational Kitchen (TRK) is a collaborative effort, but the founder, editor, and writer of most of our articles is Melanie Johnson, an avid cook, kitchenware expert, and technical communications specialist for more than 20 years. Her love of cooking and the frustrating lack of good information about kitchen products led her to create The Rational Kitchen. TRK's mission is to help people make the best decisions they can when buying kitchen gear. 

When not working on product reviews, Melanie enjoys reading, playing with her dog Ruby, vintage video games, and spending time outdoors and with her family.

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